


I.O.U.

by Dulin



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-27 17:49:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6293884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dulin/pseuds/Dulin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angeal tries to explain to Zack that dates are not legal tender.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I.O.U.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a headcanon from Aiko, one of my FFVII RP partners.

“What seems to be the problem here?”

The first one was the girl from the pizza place up Market street. She came around a few times asking for Zack, looking hopeful as she approached the reception desk and then dejected when told he was out or unavailable. She stopped coming after a while.

Then there was the delivery driver from the Wutaian takeout near the base. He lasted a little longer, looking more and more unhappy, until one day the food was being delivered by someone else and there was a call from the owner that all orders had to go through him from now on. 

The toy store clerk, the coffee shop barista and the street food vendor more or less followed the same pattern. But it was the materia store assistant that really tipped Angeal off. 

The receptionist threw Angeal a grateful look as he stepped into the entrance hall, drawn there by raised voices. The woman she was speaking to turned around and crossed her arms defiantly. She looked furious.

“The problem is that Zack Fair owes my store three thousand Gil! And my boss said if I don’t get the money today he’ll take it out of my pay! I’m not losing my job for this!”

That didn’t sound like Zack to Angeal, but he held out his hand for the receipt the woman was scrunching in her closed fist. 

“Are you saying that a SOLDIER recruit stole from your store? This is a serious accusation.”

The woman’s cheeks reddened, and she looked down.

“Well…. no. I mean, he did take the materia, but when I asked him to pay, he said he’d take me on a date…. and I said okay, but I thought he was just asking me out! …. I didn’t realize he meant a date _instead_ of the money!”

It took Angeal a few seconds before he realized what she meant.

“I’ll take care of this,” he sighed, fishing the money out.

******

“Zack, come here.”

Zack looked up from the sword he was cleaning and jumped up, smiling brightly at Angeal.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere quiet. We need to talk.”

Zack looked puzzled but followed his mentor to the cafeteria. Angeal ordered for both of them and chose a table in a secluded corner. The place was empty at this time of day, thankfully.

“Zack, I need to talk to you about that thing you’ve been doing…”

“Okay! … What thing?”

Angeal put the receipt from the materia store down on the table and slid it towards Zack. Zack picked it up, looked at it, then looked back at Angeal, clearly clueless.

“What’s this?”

“You tell me. The store clerk came by earlier and left this saying you hadn’t paid for the goods you took out. And she asked for you by name.”

“Huh?”

Zack didn’t seem to understand what was going on, and Angeal knew him too well by now to believe the young man was lying, but he was quite sure the clerk hadn’t been lying either.

“She said you suggested to take her on a date to settle the bill, and she accepted because she thought you were using this as an…. opportunity.”

“Oh! About this tall, red hair, green eyes, freckles?”

So he did know her, then. Angeal nodded.

“But she said it was fine!” Zack said, and now he looked a little hurt, as if he was the one who had been wronged.

It was that look that suddenly made Angeal put two and two together. He had found it a little strange that a young man just arrived from the backwaters of Gongaga could make so many friends in so little time.

“Zack…. Have you been offering dates to pay for your shopping?”

Zack had the grace to look a little embarrassed and he scratched his head as he nodded.

“How long has this been going on?”

“I don’t know… a few months, maybe?”

“The pizza girl?”

Zack nodded once more.

“The delivery boy?”

Another nod, and Zack’s cheeks were starting to color.

“The woman from the hot-dog stand?”

“... Yes.”

“Zack… You do realize that this is technically almost prostitution?”

“Of course I…. wait, what?!”

Zack looked totally flabbergasted, and Angeal knew that this hadn’t even entered his trainee’s mind. Most probably, he’d just tried it once because he’d forgotten his wallet, and then he’d kept doing it because people kept saying yes. And Angeal could understand why they did. 

“But they all said yes! I would have paid if they had said no!”

“I know you would, Zack, and that’s why I wanted to talk to you instead of just reporting you like I should have done.”

Zack looked down.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Not as long as you promise not to do it again. I settled things with the materia store, so you owe me three thousand Gil now and you probably should not go back for a little while.”

“Thank you, Angeal! You’re the best!”

Angeal let out a small ‘oof’ as he ended up with an armful of young SOLDIER, and he patted Zack’s head.

“Just be careful, alright? You’re lucky I was the one who caught this and not Lazard.”

“Thanks, man! Hey, I know! Why don’t I…”

“No, Zack.”

Zack blinked, then pouted.

“You didn’t even let me finish!”

“...Alright, go ahead.”

“How about I take you on a …”

“No.”


End file.
